What to do on Galaxy Note7 recall and How to identify a “Safe” Galaxy Note7 unit

Samsung Galaxy Note7 owners by now are aware that Samsung is mobilizing a worldwide recall of the phablet and the reason behind it is the exploding defective battery inside them. When the first account from such disaster came out, speculations are pouring like rain like it’s probably using a 3rd-party cable, overnight charging or it’s just that the unit is defective, it turns out that the latter was correct and probable that Samsung halt all sales and release of the Galaxy Note7 all over the world.

There were 35 known cases currently reported about the Galaxy Note7 catching fire and it’s not just an isolated case, Samsung for their part are doing what they could do to ensure the safety of their customers. Before going further, take a look at the photo below:

So this what happens when a Galaxy Note7 burns itself up. The sight of something like this is so alarming that Samsung promptly recalls all existing Galaxy Note7 in the market. Though it’s not quite sure what devices are affected but Samsung are getting them back anyway. Probably it’s one of the best thing that happens to a company that showed their dedication on consumer assurance and safety but might as well hold off some customers now that hesitates on get one and will probably look for something else at this point.

So you have a Galaxy Note7 with you and you’re still in confusion on what to do to protect yourself. We’ll to start with, check your supplier where you got your unit or visit your local carrier if you acquire your Galaxy Note7 from them or perhaps visit your nearest Samsung service center in your area to get informed.

For my experience, I went straight to my carrier to check their procedure for the replacement. The first thing they’ve to ask is how was the unit, then I told them that so far my Galaxy Note7 is doing quite well and didn’t have any complaints about it except that I just got a text message from the carrier to coordinate with them for the recall. Then they gave me two options: One is to return the unit to them immediately and wait for the replacement to arrive which at that time is unknown and the Second was that I keep the unit and just make a follow-up from time to time to check if the replacements are in, the assessor also suggested to visit the Samsung Service Center for their own scheme of the replacement procedure so I said yes.

For Samsung Service Center, all they are going to do is collect your contact details and check your unit, then they will ask you to sign a form to cue you up when the replacement unit arrives. They also require to bring everything from you Galaxy Note7 box, your purchase receipt and if you’re under contract, a certificate from the carrier telling Samsung that you got your unit from your network provider. So I ask them about swapping with another unit, like a Galaxy S7 or the S7 edge perhaps but they said no, the only option we have here is a replacement unit from the Galaxy Note7 to a “safe” Galaxy Note7 and nothing else.

According to Samsung, the first batch of replacement units should arrive by the end of the month and the replacement is straight swap with the new unit, Samsung will also adjust the warranty period covered in accordance to the release the new unit.

So one might ask on how will we know if the unit we have is the said non-defective unit that Samsung had replaced during the recall? According to Samsung the easiest way to spot the replaced Galaxy Note7 unit can be found in the box. like so:

Notice the big S mark and the black square from the image above, that’s what to look for when checking your unit if it’s safe, the big blue “S” on the package which supposedly means Safe. If your box has this label then you’re good to go but if it doesn’t then you might just have a fire risk in your pocket and immediately hand it over to Samsung so you’ll get your replacement.

For now, the recall process in on the way with suppliers and outlets around the world are now in the process of preparing the current units for replacements. We might have a different mechanism for the recall on different regions but the main point here is the safety of the customers.